182 ACUTE EAR OF ELEPHANTS. 



so. From what I afterwards ascertained, I am certain 

 that those teeth belonged to one of the elephants I had 

 wounded on the day which I have just mentioned. 



Soon after this affair, the herd left the Berea bush, and 

 moved several miles up the coast. I then again took up 

 the bush-buck shooting, at which capital sport could now 

 be had, as the elephants had made so many paths, and 

 trodden down so much of the underwood, that one's pro- 

 gress could be made with less noise, and in consequence 

 seven or eight fair chances at buck could be had in a 

 day. 



One or two more accounts of the giant game of Africa 

 may perhaps be excused. 



I have before spoken of the acuteness of the elephant's 

 hearing, and I had a very good proof of it on the occasion 

 that I will now mention. 



As I was making my rounds one afternoon on horse- 

 back, I heard the crack of a broken branch some distance 

 up a path that led to a flagstaff on the top of the Berea. 

 I knew at once that the noise was caused by some ele- 

 phants browsing ; I therefore left my horse outside the 

 bush, that I might proceed quite quietly, and walked up 

 this road for half a mile to an open space of about an 

 acre, from which I had a fine view all round. I soon dis- 

 covered that a large herd of elephants were in the hollow 

 just below the rising ground on which I was standing, and 

 they appeared to be working up to the position from which 

 I was looking out for them. I was well to leeward of the 

 herd, and had taken up my position with praiseworthy 

 silence, and at about sixty yards from the edge of the 



